The New Jersey stripper who had been discovered keeping severed heads and a hand in various jars has been indicted.

The former medical student who is accused of giving it to her as a bizarre "tip" has been indicted as well.

Ahmed Rashed, 26, who now works as a physician at the troubled King Drew Medical center in Los Angeles, was charged with theft. The stripper he allegedly gave the severed hand to, Linda Kay, 31, of South Plainfield, was charged with receiving stolen property.

Authorities say the hand was cut from a cadaver at the medical school.

The indictments were handed up Thursday by a Middlesex County grand jury.

Lawyers for both defendants denied their clients did anything wrong.

"Dr. Rashed is anxious to have a speedy trial and secure an acquittal," his attorney, Kalman Geist, told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday's newspapers. "He's an accomplished young man, a dedicated doctor, and I'm satisfied from speaking with him that he would never commit this act. He absolutely denies the allegation, and he looks forward to beating this and confronting his accusers in court."

Kay's lawyer, Donald DiGioia of Mountainside, said his client asserts her innocence.

"We look forward to having our opportunity to defend this in open court," the lawyer said.

The Cherry Hill Courier Post reports that Assistant Prosecutor Judson Hamlin said Rashed became friendly with the exotic dancer while he was a student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and gave the left hand to her during one of his visits to a strip club.

The grand jury accused Rashed of taking the hand from the medical school sometime in June 2002, bringing it to the club and giving it to Kay, who performs under the name "Zillah."

The courier reports that both are free on bail.